It is conventional to mount a current carrying thermostatic disc in a housing so that it will snap between contacts engaged and contacts disengaged configurations in dependence upon the temperature of the disc. Such circuit breakers are used in many applications, for example, in marine and off-load trucking. Electrical current passing through the disc generates heat thereby raising the temperature of the disc. Current levels above a selected level will raise the temperature of the disc to a preselected actuation level at which point the disc will snap to a contacts disengaged configuration thereby breaking the electrical circuit until the disc cools off to a lower, reset temperature at which point the disc will automatically snap back to a contacts engaged configuration re-energizing the electrical circuit.
Another circuit breaker in commercial use employs an automatically resettable disc along with an electrically insulative, spring loaded member which, upon opening of the contacts, moves between the contacts to thereby prevent reengagement of the contacts. The circuit breaker is manually reset by moving the member out of alignment with the contacts. This type of circuit breaker has the disadvantage that the plastic member that drags across the contacts is subjected to arcing and tends to melt and/or deteriorate and contaminate the contacts during repeated cycling thereby adversely effecting proper operation.